Essential Oils are an aromatic, naturally occurring chemical component of plants that are usually extracted by distillation. Through Lab testing of these chemicals constituents has led to an understanding of their benefits and in recent years interest in therapeutically blended essential oils for Canines has increased.

Please note if using Essential Oils on your dog it is important that the oil are therapeutic grade so as not to cause harm to your dog.

You will often be able to smell therapeutic oil diffusing at Paddington Pups. If you are interested in getting therapeutic grade essential oils we can facilitate this process for you.

Listed below are some essential oils which are safe for your dogs and what they can be used for.

About a year ago, I wrote an article on what a day at Paddington Pups is like for our grooming guests, but I still get questions from clients, new and old, about what goes on during their pup’s visit. So – now that we are all set up in our brand new location – I thought it was about time for a refresher!

First of all, before any puppies arrive, we get our hydrobaths ready. This gives the heaters time to warm up so that each puppy can be comfortable with a variable temperature suited to the season. After that the groomers go through the daily schedule to figure out how the day will go and who is going to groom which puppies.

The rule of thumb is if your dog gets bathed often (once or more per week) the topical flea treatments are not for you. However, if you wash your dog less regularly remember to apply the treatment 2 days either before or after the bath. This will allow time for the treatment to be absorbed into the pores before being washed off.

Every bath your dog receives washes all their natural oils out of the coat. The pores where the oils lay are also where the topical flea treatment lies to. So during each bath the topical flea treatment such as Advantix, Frontline, Advocate etc. will be washed off and therefore be less effective. The plus side of the Advantix and Frontline ranges is they prevent not only fleas but flies, ticks, lice and more.

As with humans, it is important that dogs’ eyes are looked after as there is the risk of some serious infections. When a dog wakes in the morning, quite often there is an amount of gunk (goobies) in the corner of their eyes. This will have been discharged from the eyes over night and in some cases it will be brown. There is nothing to worry about here as this is the dogs defence mechanism and the body drains away the mucus.

The time to be concerned is when there is a lot of mucus and this is when it is time to visit the vet and check if it is an infection.

Dogs also suffer from allergies and there will be times when it is this allergy that causes their eyes to become infected. The mucus will then be green and thicker, and will cause the dog a ... Click here to read more....

The flea is one of the most resilient creatures on the planet. There are over two thousand species of fleas around the world. One female flea can lay more than twenty thousand offspring in a month and an adult flea can live for months without any sustenance what-so-ever. You can’t ever be completely rid of fleas; it’s impossible. The best actions you can take against fleas are preventative measures to control them in and around your environment.

How are fleas dangerous to your dog? They not only make your canine companion itch incessantly but they can also transfer heartworms and tapeworms to your dog, which can be extremely life threatening. Fleas can also cause a number of allergic reactions that may result in dermatitis and anemia. If your dog has fleas it is in your best interest to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Dog owners are very aware of all the wonderful benefits of having big, furry, cuddly pets. However, with these benefits comes the downside of having hair EVERYWHERE! All over your clothes, over your couch, your car seats, carpets, and even little balls of fur that glide over your floorboards. For years

clients have tried brushing their pets and carrying a small sticky roller wherever they go but nothing ever fixed the problem.

At Paddington Pups we can get your dog’s hair stripped or shaved. As this is very effective for some, it doesn’t work for all breeds of dogs. Recently we have discovered some appliances, and services that will help combat the hair overload in your home!

After our brand new commercial washing machine broke we needed to find a way to get all our towels washed; as most Laundromats don’t allow animal hair to go through their machines.

A couple of years ago I enrolled in a unit called Animal Biometeorology which, prior to starting the semester, sounded pretty boring. As the semester progressed, however, I became fascinated with the many different methods animals use to cool and heat themselves (thermoregulation) and the science behind biological heat energy transfer.

It may be a little late in the season, but I promise to do a shorter, more concise version of this article at the beginning of this year’s summer!

There are four methods of heat transfer: convection, conduction, radiation and evaporation. Simply defined, convection is the movement of heat within a fluid; conduction is the transfer of heat energy between atoms; radiation occurs via electromagnetic waves; and evaporation transfers heat energy by vaporising particles from the surface of a liquid.

Recently, daycare staff member, Amy, asked me to shave her lovely Labrador, Shiloh, because she was getting some small hotspots around her collar area and under her ears. I’ve already talked about how nasty hotspots can be, and shaving either a generous patch around the infection or the entire dog are good options for combating the problem.

First and foremost, clipping the coat short allows air to get to the hotspot and dry it out, which is the best and fastest way to treat it initially.

There are, however, other benefits to shaving your dog, so if you are sitting on the fence about whether to shave or not, the next few ideas may help you to make up your mind.

Many dog owners that book in with us for de-shedding are unsure whether they want a Strip Out or if they want an ... Click here to read more....

‘There’s an app for that!’ Updated version! We did an article on dog apps for iphone/ipad back in September 2011 but a lot of those apps are now outdated or have been replaced and new ones have come in. There are thousands of doggy apps you can download from the apple app store but how do you know which ones are good and which ones are ripping you off or wasting your data downloads? We have tested a few different apps here at Paddington pups and this article will outline a few apps which are easy to use, helpful and inexpensive!

The number one app I would recommend would have to be ‘Paw Club’, this app I have found myself using weekly to find different dog parks and beaches to take my girls! This is an Australian made app for all dog lovers and it’s Free. The pet-friendly ... Click here to read more....